Maria Borges (and Her Gorgeous Natural Hair) Made History at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

For as long as its Angels have been on the pop culture radar, the concept of "Victoria's Secret hair" has been synonymous with big, bouncy, bedhead-y waves. And while most of the runway models who walked in last night's show were coiffed that way—a highly precise combination of just the right number of extra-long extensions and Beachwavers wielded by Sarah Potempa's team of expert stylists—one model, Maria Borges, decided to hit the runway wearing her hair short, natural, and curly. "I told my agent I wanted to walk in the Victoria's Secret show with my natural hair," Borges told Essence. "I was nervous, but I had to do it. When they said yes' I didn't expect it, but I was so happy!" She's not the only one. Instagram is blowing up with fans praising her for helping to chip away at our society's less-than-inclusive beauty ideals. Sure, beach waves are fun and flirty, but so is natural hair. Why limit models to only one style on the spectrum? We love that she stood up for what she felt most confident and comfortable with and that, we think, is the true definition of sexiness. Borges' stance also reflects a big—and incredibly

For as long as its Angels have been on the pop culture radar, the concept of "Victoria's Secret hair" has been synonymous with big, bouncy, bedhead-y waves. And while most of the runway models who walked in last night's show were coiffed that way—a highly precise combination of just the right number of extra-long extensions and Beachwavers wielded by Sarah Potempa's team of expert stylists—one model, Maria Borges, decided to hit the runway wearing her hair short, natural, and curly.

"I told my agent I wanted to walk in the Victoria's Secret show with my natural hair," Borges told Essence. "I was nervous, but I had to do it. When they said yes' I didn't expect it, but I was so happy!"

She's not the only one. Instagram is blowing up with fans praising her for helping to chip away at our society's less-than-inclusive beauty ideals. Sure, beach waves are fun and flirty, but so is natural hair. Why limit models to only one style on the spectrum? We love that she stood up for what she felt most confident and comfortable with and that, we think, is the true definition of sexiness.

Borges' stance also reflects a big—and incredibly important—change we saw on the spring 2016 runways this year: Hairstylists and designers beginning to embrace models' natural hair and texture. Here's to hoping this isn't just a trend, but a movement that will continue to broaden our culture's views of what is beautiful. Congrats, Maria! We can't wait to see her—and her curls—in action when the show airs on December 8.